April
'What is a creature's worst enemy?' My mother asked.
'A demon.' I answered.
'No, now listen carefully my child.' My mother cupped my little face in her hands. 'There are mortals that have wished to eradicate our kind for a millennia, hunters. You must be ever so careful these days, though our kind are widely proclaimed as fiction, not everyone believes it to be so.'
'But they're just human.' I didn't understand how a human could be more dangerous then a Vampire.
'Never trust a human slighted.'
I awoke early, the memory quickly fading as I rolled onto my back. I rolled back onto my side at the sound of rustling sheets. Isla mumbled incoherent sounds as she tossed and turned in her bed adjacent to mine.
I slipped out of bed, making my way over to her. It was only then when I was closer to her that I realised she was muttering in a language unlike any I had heard before. I bent down so my ear was close to her lips as she spoke in a way that made it sound like she was chanting something.
"Why can I smell vanilla and rose petals?"
I straightened as Isla rubbed her tired eyes. "I'm your guardian Devil." I perched myself on the edge of her bed.
Isla smirked up at me. "What did you do to have be put in charge of my soul?"
"I slept with another Devil." I joked.
"Sounds fun."
"Oh, it was." We chuckled.
Isla sat up, raking her fingers through her raven brown hair. "Today's the day."
"We are going to give them a show, while looking hotter than hell itself." I took her hand, leading her over to my suitcase. "I bought a dress for everyone." I unzipped my bag, pulling out a short, tight, red dress that glittered under the lights. "I also came up with some moves that will really get the judges tongues wagging."
"Are we trying to win at choir or seduce the competition?" Isla fingered the material of the dress.
"A little bit of both."
"Just clarifying." I felt more relaxed with Isla no longer criticising my every word and action. She was no longer the quiet and reserved girl from my childhood. She was a shapeshifter.
With a quick breakfast our choir group of twelve began getting ready. I handed out the dresses, offering advice on hairstyles and accessories for each person. I curled my hair into ringlets before applying my makeup, fire truck red lipstick and heavy black eye shadow with winged eyeliner.
Beside me, Isla braided the roots of her hair into cornrows, pinning it off to allow the rest of her hair to flow behind her shoulders. I helped her with her makeup once I had finished my own, finishing off by painting our nails.
"We better be going somewhere afterwards after all this work." Isla looked rather beautiful in her skin tight dress contrasted by her dark hair and eyes.
"Of course, we'll go clubbing." I had a very vivid flashback of Callum being stabbed in the back.
"Not everyone is comfortable dancing with strangers April."
"A couple of drinks and you'll loosen right up." I looped my arm through hers. "But first, we need to kick some bitches." Isla and I strutted out of our room, meeting up with our choir group in the foyer of the hotel. I reveled in the attention we received. Most openly stared, such as Mr. O'Sullivan, you didn't need two guesses to figure out why he had volunteered for the trip. Mr. O'Neill appeared to be finding it hard where to look a he stuttered his commands to head out to the bus that would take us to the city hall. We warmed up our vocal cords during the bus ride, belting out lyrics to songs on the radio.
YOU ARE READING
DUCHAS (The Drive Within, Book 2 in Baile series)
FantasyA lot has happened since Isla and her friends assumed their supernatural abilities and in the second half of the year more secrets will unravel, powers will enhance and lives will be put on the line. The stakes have never been more high as the story...
